


Fading

by MelyndaR



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelyndaR/pseuds/MelyndaR
Summary: Natalia wasn't expecting her soulmate to already have a soulmate, but maybe it would be better for him this way... (originally posted on 4/14/15 on FF.net)
Relationships: Clint Barton/Maria Hill, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Fading

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place pre-all-the-movies and it is an AU inside of a soulmate AU.

The enmity between Clint Barton and Maria Hill was the stuff of legends in the halls of SHIELD. The duo hardly ever spoke to one another, and then only if they were assigned to a mission together. Practically no one knew why, and _absolutely_ no one would've guessed the truth.

It wasn't that they hated or went out of their way to avoid one another… it was that Maria was one of Clint's two mismatched soulmates. They loved one another and were even married – they had been drunk soulmates in Vegas two years ago; don't ask even though they regretted nothing – and in their line of work, they could be a liability to one another if that came to light.

So it didn't. Only Clint, Maria, Director Fury, and Coulson knew the truth. But some days they wore that truth closer to the vest than others.

The day Clint was in New Delhi and Maria was in America, screaming at him over the coms? That was one of the days it was pretty obvious. Unafraid of the trinket being noticed, Clint was even wearing his wedding band.

He hadn't counted on his mark knowing she was being trailed, though, nor had he figured in that she would have binoculars and be watching him just as intently as he was her from opposite sides of the New Delhi street.

"Ria, would you calm down? I have her in my scope."

"Along with how many other people? You may need to get her into a less populated area."

"We are both three levels up in a couple of hotels, and this is New Delhi; there are no less populated areas!"

"Then take the shot already and get back here!"

"This isn't my first rodeo; that's what I was planning on doing, darling," Clint drawled, narrowing his eyes onto his redheaded mark as he muttered to the famous Black Widow, "Sorry, gorgeous, it's nothing personal."

* * *

Natalia had been watching the man bicker with the woman who was obviously his wife over his com, reading his lips and becoming thoroughly amused by the entire situation. She could easily dodge his arrow – _an arrow, really?_ – when the moment came… but when he spoke to her, the situation went from amusing to earth-shattering. And it suddenly felt _very_ personal.

Because he'd just said her soulmark words. He was her soulmate.

But he was married, and even with the harmless bickering, she could tell he was happy in that marriage. So either he had found love with someone who wasn't his soulmate, or the three people involved had mismatched soulmarks, because Natalia only had one soulmate… and he obviously didn't need her or her issues in his life.

She could've done something, told him that they were soulmate – the intel she had on him said that he would be able to read her lips through his scope – but she didn't. Why would she? Why would he want her, anyway? She'd only be an unnecessary, and quite possibly unwanted, complication in his life. So she didn't do or say anything.

When he let his arrow fly, she didn't even dodge it.

And Clint was left to watch with growing horror as the words "I'm sorry" faded from his bicep.


End file.
